Releasing-gear for ships&#39; boats.



T. MAcDERMOTI. RELEASING GEAR FOR SHIPS BOATS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s 1915.

1.191 447. Patented July 18, 1916.

INvEA/rb HUM/l5 MacDs/worr BY:

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THOMAS MACDEBMOT'I, OF PSRTSMOUTH, ENGLAND.

RELEASING-GEAB. FOB SHIPS BO ATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1916.

Application filed September 3, 1915. Serial No. 48,869.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I THOMAS MACDER- Mora, subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 79 Shadwell road, Portsmouth, in the county of Hampshire, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Releasing-Gear for Ships Boats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in releasing gear for ships boats of that type in which the main or carrying hook is adapted to rotate about a pivot under the action of the load and release the said load, but is retained in position by retaining means having a large mechanical advantage over the said load and has for its object the provision of means whereby great simplicity of construction is obtained and at the same time more reliable operation is assured than occurs with known devices.

The invention consists in the arrangement within a boat and attached to the ends and keel thereof of two devices each of which comprises a pivoted two armed main or carrying hook substantially of U shape. One arm of'the said hook is adapted to receive the ring of one of the boat falls while the other arm is engaged by a pivoted retaining hook adapted to be manually operated. The pivots of both the carrying and retalning hooks are so disposed relative to their points of application of load that they Wlll rotate under the action of the load when unrestrained; the retaining hooks releasing the carrying hooks which in turn release the rings of the falls. Both the retaining hooks are adapted to be simultaneously released by a fore and aft cord or rope which is pro vided with a slip device. To prevent accidental release I provide a safety pin adapted to engage with and lock one of the movable hooks; the said safety pin having to be removed before operation of the device can be effected. I also provide means adapted to mouse the hook and thereby prevent the falls from being accidentallyunhooked.

On referring to the drawings :Figure 1 illustrates in elevation a hook constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1 but showing some of the parts in section.

Referring to the drawing it will be seen that the U-shaped main or carrying hook A is carried rotatably on a pin A mounted 1n the side plates A and that the said hook A is disposed between the said side plates A may The U-sh'aped main or carrying hook A is This retaining hook B is somewhat similar to the carrying hook A inasmuch as it is provided with two legs B and 13 one of which viz :the leg 13 is adapted to engage the hole or slot A in the main or carrying hook A. The other leg B carries a shackle E at its outer end for attachment to the fore and aft cord or rope which is provided with aslip device. By varying the angle of the leg B relative to the plane of the hole or slot A I am enabled to increase or decrease the mechanical advantage of the pull on the fore and aft cord or rope over the load.

Upon the parts of the pin B which project beyond the side plates A I mount an anchoring shackle D which is connected to the inside of the boat at the keel or other convenient point while upon the projecting parts of the pin A I mount a similar shackle C for attachment to the upper part of the stem or stern of the boat as the case be. To prevent sidewise motion of the boat relative to the hooks side stays are used and to facilitate the attachment of the side stays to the hooks I provide two eyes G one of which may be formed integrally with the pm A and form its head while the other may be in the form of a nut adapted to main tain the pin A in place.

In order to mouse the hook and prevent the ring F from becoming detached from the curved upper leg A I continue the sides of the shackle D upward beyond the pivot pin 13 a suflicient distance to enable the ends G of the extensions D to come close enough to the end of the leg A to prevent the passage of the ring F therebetween. To prevent deflection of the extensions D under stress I provide a pin X adapted to engage the shackle D and prevent backward motion thereof beyond a predetermined point.

Under normal circumstances it is desirable to maintain the hook in the operative position without the use of a fore and after cord and to efiect this I provide a safety pin H which is adapted to engage with the leg B of the hook B and prevent motion thereof for disengaging operation.

In use a fore and aft cord or rope or similar tackle provided with a slip device is attached to the shackles E and hauled tight. The safety pins H are removed, and at the Word of command the person in charge of the slip releases it upon Which both hooks simultaneously disengage and the boat as a consequence takes the Water on an even keel.

I claim A releasing gear for ships boats having in combination two supporting devices disposed Within each boat and adapted to engage the boat falls, each of the said supporting devices being flexibly attached to the keel and one end of the boat and comprising a pivoted main or carrying hook of U-shape adapted to assume a vertical disposition under stress When uncontrolled, a pivoted retaining hook of U-shape adapted to engage with and control the said main or carrying hook With great mechanical advantage, a fore and aft cord or rope having a manually operable slip device adapted to control said pivoted retaining hooks, permit them to simultaneously release the said carrying hooks in both supporting devices, and act against the pull of the attachment of the supporting device for the end of the boat, a locking pin adapted to engage one of the said hooks and thereby prevent movement of the main or carrying hook When desired and pivoted tongues adapted to mouse the hook the said tongues being formed integrally With the keel anchoring shackle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

THOMAS MAGDERMOTT.

Witnesses:

HENRY E. C. TURNER, HERBERT LAW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

